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As expected Francois Hollande and incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy will square off on May 6 in round two of the French presidential elections.
However, there was a huge surprise in spot number 3 as extreme right wing candidate Marine Le Pen pulled in 18% of the vote running on a dump-the-euro platform.
First Round Totals
Hollande: 28.6%
Sarkozy: 27.1%
Le Pen: 18%
Please consider Le Pen voters to arbitrate Hollande-Sarkozy duel

As goes the French economy, so goes the reelection chances of French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Although Sarkozy leads in round one, polls show that lead is shrinking at a pace that suggests he will not carry round one.
More importantly, Sarkozy is trailing again by double digits in polls for the decisive round two.
For those not familiar with elections in France, round one pits candidates from all the parties against each other on April 22. If no one gets 50%, the top two finishers square off in round two, on May 6.

Latest polls show French President Sarkozy is losing ground to right-wing anti-euro candidate Marine Le Pen in the first round of the France presidential election. Via Google translate, please consider Le Pen and Bayrou Back

Given the extreme economic mess socialist president Francois Hollande has made in France, it should not be too shocking to discover a surge in the popularity of the National Front, a far-right, eurosceptic political party led by Marine Le Pen.
A recent poll by Le Nouvel Observateur shows the National Front is in the lead for the first time ever.
Poll Results

In local French elections over the weekend, Conservatives Hold Off National Front while PS, the party of president Francois Hollande finished a distant third. France's centre-right UMP party and its allies have taken first place in the first round of local elections, partial results show.Projections suggest that the far-right National Front - despite strong gains - came second with about 25% of the vote, behind the conservatives on 30%.

Thomson Reuters
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday he would not seek a second term in next year's presidential election, a surprise move that clears the way for an alternative left-wing candidate.